The U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday ruled that the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate is unconstitutional.
It’s a big ruling, the second step in a long process to determine the future of the law. But the Fifth Circuit stopped short of what the people who brought the lawsuit wanted. In fact, the judges on the Fifth Circuit, right here in Louisiana, sent the lawsuit back to the district judge in Texas to “conduct a more searching inquiry” into which parts of the law could survive without the mandate. This will take some time for the Texas court to review.
The Supreme Court of the United States will likely ultimately decide on the future of the ACA. Blue Cross will work with lawmakers on a bipartisan basis to ensure that all Louisianians can access the consistent, quality health coverage they need and deserve. During the appeal process, Blue Cross will continue serving our members in accordance with the law.
I’ve been following the ACA since its inception in 2010 and I’ve written about the cracks in its foundations and what could happen if it goes away. Check out those posts now and I’ll be back in the new year with more on this important case.
Leave a Reply